Young Huskies once again big underdog, hosting Cincinnati

BY ED DAIGNEAULT REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

It seemed only fitting that Randy Edsall praised his UConn team’s ability to keep from getting frustrated. If there is any team that has caused the Huskies frustration for seemingly forever, it is today’s opponent.

Cincinnati (4-0) visits Rentschler Field Saturday. The Bearcats and the Huskies (1-3) do not have a terribly long history, but it is a history completely dominated by Cincinnati. The teams have played 14 prior times and the Huskies have won just twice.

UConn’s only three victories (2008, 2010 and 2016) have all come at home, so there’s at least that. Otherwise, the series has been an extreme exercise in frustration for UConn, never more so than last year.

UConn’s Hergy Mayala hauled in a touchdown pass from David Pindell that seemingly tied the game on an untimed down at the end of the fourth quarter. A Cincinnati defensive penalty had allowed the Huskies one more play, and they capitalized.

Mayala proceeded to get hit with a taunting penalty and Michael Tarbutt missed a 35-yard attempt at the extra point, spelling the end of a 22-21 loss that capped the season. It was the season, and the series, encapsulated.

[table id=196 /]

“We haven’t even talked about that,” Edsall said. “I don’t plan on talking about that. This is a new year. We’re a different team; they’re a different team.”

Indeed. Cincinnati has equaled its win total from a year ago and began the year with a win at UCLA. UConn owns the worst defense in the country and three times has surrendered more than 50 points. The one time the Huskies didn’t do that, Rhode Island, an FCS team, put up 49 points.

How the Huskies aren’t getting frustrated is anybody’s guess, but they insist that particular emotion isn’t even a concern.

“Nah, we’re not frustrated at all,” sophomore defensive end Darrian Beavers said. “We know we’re getting better. We can see it on the field. We’re not getting the results we want, but they’ll come because we’re working hard every day.

“It would be easy to get frustrated if we weren’t doing what we need to do to get better.”

What improvements there are have been so incremental as to hardly be noticed. Edsall said, “Some guys are getting better with their eyes” and “some are getting better with their steps.” None of that does anything to assuage a fan base wanting results.

Results might be hard to come by today. While the offense has held up its part of things in three of the first four games, it is going against a Cincinnati defense that is ranked 10th in the country in total defense. The Huskies’ one effort this year against a highly capable defense did not go well at Boise State.

But unlike a shell-shocked, young defense, the offense has confidence that it can move the ball and score points. Problem is, it has to score on nearly every possession for UConn to even have a chance.

“We feel like we can do that,” Mayala said. “We just have to avoid those red-zone turnovers we’ve had. We’re taking chances away from ourselves, and we can’t afford to do that.

“The defense is doing the best that it can and is getting better. As an offense, we have to do everything we can to help them.”